“This is the evidence.”

Kaien placed a wooden medallion on the office table.

After dinner, I was in Kaien’s office touching Helbaitz while listening to reports from Ransel and Baron Gohalm.

When the conversation from yesterday’s banquet came up and they asked about the evidence, he had said it was a secret and didn’t tell even the Emperor, but now he pulled out a medallion from his chest.

“Oh, this is the medallion Helbaitz gave me. Are you saying this moves demonic beasts?”

[That wasn’t it back then.]

Helbaitz settled next to the medallion and tapped it playfully with his bird talons. He was full of discontent.

“That’s right. This isn’t the medallion your beast gave to Ivy.”

“There was another one?”

[This one doesn’t contain holy power.]

Smacking his lips and narrowing his eyes, Helbaitz seemed to recall the holy power he had tasted in Lindal.

[When we went to Lindal, I found a medallion with holy power dropped in the forest and enjoyed eating it. Hehe.]

“Is there a difference?”

Ransel tilted his head.

“Helbaitz doesn’t eat the holy power from blessed items consecrated by priests, and even from ancient sacred objects, he only likes certain ones.”

I had spent a lot of time with Helbaitz, but this was the first I’d heard of it.

Edwin had asked Priest Lark to make the butterfly brooch that Helbaitz liked, but I hadn’t thought that Helbaitz could distinguish between different holy powers.

Kaien’s brow immediately furrowed.

He was displeased even when Helbaitz ate a single cookie, and his expression only softened somewhat when Ransel offered sacred objects to Helbaitz from his own pocket.

Kaien also seemed to be hearing this for the first time and showed interest.

“Is that so?”

“Yes, he particularly liked the holy power from old and expensive sacred objects, and only consumed the highest quality blessed items. Until now, I thought it was just Helbaitz’s preference.”

“Picky little beast.”

[You humans wouldn’t understand, but they taste completely different.]

“Taste? Holy power has such distinctions?”

[That dagger you first offered me had an absolutely exquisite taste. The holy power in the medallion wasn’t quite that good, but compared to that rotten-smelling holy power scattered everywhere, it was delicious. Ah, the holy power of that woman called the protagonist was also a delicacy.]

I thought his grumbling and aversion to many things was just his personality, but there was a reason for it.

“Can holy power be different? Have you heard of such cases, Gohalm?”

“No, and magic stones that detect holy power react the same way. Wallit couldn’t find any difference either.”

“We need to find that difference to be able to accuse the temple as the culprit, Your Grace.”

Who would dare think the temple controlled demonic beasts?

Baron Gohalm’s wrinkles deepened.

“Is Duke Teian being kept under close surveillance?”

“Yes. There are people recording his every movement and everyone he meets.”

Listening to the conversation reminded me of when the elders had gathered.

Back then, Helbaitz had tasted the blood of the imperial family and monitored their every move, revealing their secrets.

When I rubbed under his chin with my fingertip, Helbaitz narrowed his eyes and purred contentedly.

“Helbaitz, the Duke is also of imperial blood, so you’re connected. Don’t you know what the Duke is thinking? Haven’t you seen any secrets from before, like with the elders?”

[Hmm, Millers Teian is not of that bloodline.]

I need to talk with Helbaitz more in the future.

Every time he opens his mouth, he says something shocking.

“What? You mean he’s not?”

“Not of imperial blood?”

Kaien and Baron Gohalm weren’t surprised, as if they already knew.

“Yes. Duke Teian was not of the bloodline but was adopted into the imperial family by the former Emperor’s will. That’s why His Majesty granted him a title but did not bestow any territory.”

“Thanks to that, he withdrew from the grand ducal household relatively easily. Because he’s not truly of imperial blood.”

[Come to think of it, there was always one such person mixed in with each generation.]

“It’s a secret known only to a few. The Duke himself knows, of course.”

Baron Gohalm added that it was confidential information.

I had just learned a tremendous secret about the imperial family.

“The Duke seemed to have strong loyalty to His Majesty……”

“If his loyalty was true, would he do such things? If it’s revealed that he conspired with the temple to threaten His Majesty, he won’t escape the gallows.”

“What will happen to the Duchess then?”

“Either the gallows or, if His Majesty shows mercy, imprisonment.”

“Even if she’s lucky enough to leave prison, the citizens’ anger might make prison the better option.”

I could only sigh thinking of the beautiful and elegant Duchess.

She had never received the Duke’s love and lived as a Duchess in name only, and now she would have to go to prison because of him. Her life was too pitiful.

Even if she divorced him now, she couldn’t escape responsibility.

‘To have married such a person of all people.’

With a heavy heart, I raised my head and met Kaien’s eyes. At that moment, a bell rang somewhere.

‘After getting engaged, now the bell of fate rings?’

The sound of a bell spread throughout the mansion, becoming clamorous.

“What is that?”

As soon as I covered my ears, the sound stopped. I turned to look at Kaien, and he, Ransel, and Baron Gohalm all stood up at once and looked out the window toward the mansion’s main gate.

Someone had come riding in haste.

Kaien took a sword hanging on the wall and rushed out of the study, with Baron Gohalm and Ransel following him. All their expressions were grave.

I belatedly ran toward the entrance where they were headed, and Helbaitz perched on my shoulder.

[It’s an emergency signal.]

“Emergency signal?”

[There’s a rule to ring the emergency signal in advance because it takes time to get from the main gate to the mansion.]

“So it’s urgent enough that there’s a need to save even that time?”

[It’s a rule established when the grand ducal residence was built, and it rang once before when Kaien Blemer returned alive from the Forest of Demonic Beasts. The knights are trained to ring it when dangers arise equivalent to the capital being attacked in a war against Ingmier.]

“……War?”

There was no mention of this in the novel.

Since its founding, Ingmier had never faced a crisis severe enough to endanger the capital.

The greatest danger would have been demonic beasts pouring out from the Forest, but hadn’t that been changed to demonic beasts appearing in Lindal and thus never happened?

Servants stood anxiously in front of the entrance.

When I went outside, a knight had just jumped off his horse and prostrated himself before Kaien, who stood with his sword drawn.

“Your Grace, demonic beasts have appeared in the capital!”

It was as if a magic spell had silenced all noise; not even breathing could be heard.

Everyone froze, listening intently to what followed.

“Three orcs broke through the northern capital gate and are rampaging in Lirus Street. The capital soldiers are overwhelmed, and the militia, mercenaries, and knights from nearby families have mobilized to corner one of them.”

Northern gate, Lirus Street.

It was an area with poor security where many poor people lived, and where Rebecca had once lived.

I unconsciously looked in that direction and saw the sky was red. Like when the clock tower had burned, no, it was spreading even wider.

“Three orcs?”

“Orcs are strong and more intelligent than other demonic beasts, so when there are two or more, the difficulty doubles. An experienced commander is needed.”

As Baron Gohalm quickly assessed the situation, the knight’s tense expression momentarily relaxed.

“I saw a corporal commanding.”

“A ragtag group won’t be effective with just a corporal.”

Kaien coldly stated the reality.

“Mercenaries prioritize their own safety and are stubborn. The militia lacks skill, and family knights are weak in actual combat. There’s no one who can properly take charge.”

“Then what should we do? As it is, every time an orc swings its arm, people……”

The knight who brought the news looked at the northern sky with a pale face. The red glow in the sky was spreading wider.

From the direction of the training ground, twenty knights in light armor approached in formation, leading horses.

They were the Black Knights remaining at the grand ducal residence.

Mrs. Moson helped Kaien put on his coat.

“Your Grace.”

“Let’s go.”

Kaien mounted his black horse and took position at the head of the knights.

Even in the darkness, he radiated light. His piercing eyes looked down at me imperiously, but there was tenderness in them.

At the news that demonic beasts had appeared and were attacking people, he stepped forward without hesitation.

Without even putting on armor.

I had seen him deal with orcs at the black market before, and I didn’t think he would lose, but my heart beat anxiously.

“Helbaitz, follow Kaien. Protect him.”

[He’ll hate it, saying I’m in the way.]

“Please.”

As I was asking Helbaitz, I met Kaien’s eyes.

“I’ll be back.”

“Don’t get hurt.”

“You’re the only one who worries about me getting hurt.”

Kaien’s pleased smile disappeared as he pulled the reins and turned his horse’s head.

A sharp tension hung in the air.

“We’ll break through quickly to Lirus Street!”

With Kaien in the lead, the knights galloped toward the main gate, with Helbaitz following behind.

Hazy dust, an uneasy night breeze, a reddened sky.

It was hard to believe that in this quiet night, a war was taking place in one part of the capital.

News that Kaien had defeated the demonic beasts arrived only at dawn, and since he had to attend a meeting at the Imperial City, Kaien did not return to the grand ducal residence.

***

The next day, a letter suddenly arrived from Rebecca.

It said the damage to Lirus Street was severe, and she wanted to help and asked if I would go with her.

After discussing with Mrs. Moson, I packed sandwiches that could be eaten on the go, stew, and all-purpose medicine, and headed to Lirus Street.

The fierce battle that had lasted until dawn was evident throughout the street.

Walls were damaged, blood stains marked the street, and people were cleaning up broken furniture.

“I can’t believe this happened in the capital.”

Love and Benji, who had followed me, couldn’t take their eyes off the window, their expressions grim.

When we arrived at the square and entered the medical tent, there was an unexpected person.

Princess Magnel, wearing a dirty apron, greeted me while wrapping a bandage around a patient.

“Your Highness, I pay my respects.”

“Grand Duchess, we meet in such a place. I’m sorry for causing a disturbance at your wedding.”

“No, it wasn’t Your Highness’s fault. I’m glad to see you looking so healthy.”

“You should be enjoying your honeymoon, but things have turned out like this. I’m sorry.”

Even while conversing, the Princess’s hands never stopped.

Just then, Rebecca entered the tent. She looked just as unpretentious as the Princess, and even dirtier than her.

“Ivy, thank you for coming.”

“Why is Her Highness here?”

“I requested it. When I keep my body moving, I have no time for other thoughts.”

This wasn’t something to answer so cheerfully about.

I had advised her to befriend the Princess to counter the Empress, but wouldn’t she receive more criticism for making the Princess work so hard?

My worry soon disappeared.

Both Rebecca and the Princess actively attended to patients, not minding that their clothes were getting dirty.

“I brought food. Rebecca, go eat with the Princess. Those who care for others must take care of themselves too.”

“Thank you, Ivy.”

“It’s over there.”

As I went outside, I heard rough voices from the minor injury patients gathered outside the tent after receiving treatment.

“D*mn it, with people injured like this, what is the temple doing?”